Even Funeral Masses free from "Greatest Hits" torture!
A follow-up from this post about going two funerals in a row without requests for the "greatest hits" fare. In fact, yesterday I had another funeral and got lucky again - so now three in a row!
But now tomorrow it's back to reality, but not at Holy Ghost. This one is at a church in one of Providence's "hoods", and I cover there when needed more for the sake of a few extra bucks than anything else. But I still like to try to do things right when possible. So, they raided the request line with the following:
- Ave Maria (they didn't specify the setting, and I don't "default" to the Schubert)
- Let there be peas and carrots on earth
- How great thou art
The amazing thing: no Be Not Afraid or Beagle's Things. I did manage to talk these folk out of Hail Mary/Gentle Woman. After all, they're already asked for Ave Maria. Why sing the same text twice? At least that was the reasoning I used. So, it'll be some Ave at the Offertory, the other two at Communion (How great during, and peas and carrots after Father's done doing the dishes).
I guess three out of four ain't bad - with the three being at my regular parish where I have a lot more pull (as well as support).
Peace,
BMP
2 comments:
BMP,
My director of sacred music (who is with me on the same PAGE, the Church's) recently told some folks in a very pastoral way after they requested "Peace is flowing": "That is not sacred music." When they told him that they always sing it from the music books in church (missalettes), he said, "not in our hymnals". (They were from another parish, bringing a loved one home to the church of baptism.) Thanks be to God for the St. Michael Hymnals. So my sacred musician (!) and I, Fr. BRIAN Klingele, are on the same PAGE thanks to the St. MICHAEL Hymnal.
And I thought that your guardian angel was too busy looking out for you.
(By the way, I had emailed you regarding a certain old pipe organ for sale in a certain city.)
Hi Father. LOL on the puns (capitalized names).
I found pros and cons in the St. Michael book. Point good: none of that inclusive language crap. Point bad: come funeral time, you're still going to get calls for Be Not Afraid, Beagle's Things, Here I Is, Lard, and other such hits that still appear in the St. Michael and those people asking WILL POINT THAT OUT.
I also find the Spanish repertoire quite useless, as our parish doesn't have a Spanish Mass (nor a congregation that warrants one).
Still not a bad book overall - it's still a good 80-90% traditional stuff (solid metrical hymnody, chant, and Latin). My boss wants to go Adoremus, but probably once the new translation is finally approved.
Peace,
BMP
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